Signs in the Sun

Scientists propose space shield to protect Earth from solar storms - UPI.com
UPI reports: "If governments and their space agencies are serious about protecting Earth from solar storms, one team of researchers argues a giant space shield is the most logical solution.[....]  Solar storms -- intense waves of high energy particles flung into space during coronal mass ejection -- aren't so much a threat to life. But they could seriously damage satellites, electric grids, communications systems and a variety of modern technologies."

Comment: They say it's only a matter of time before a 1859-like solar storm happens.

Signs in the Sun

Grab eclipse glasses: Large sunspots visible, produce solar flares - UPI.com
UPI reports: "We're heading into the bottom of solar minimum, when the sun tends to have fewer sunspots, solar flares and coronal mass ejections - large expulsions of plasma, electrons and ions and magnetic fields. But despite where we are in the sun's cycle, activity on the sun has dramatically picked up over the past few days. On and off, these two sunspots have been flaring and shooting out coronal mass ejections, directed toward Earth. [...] We don't need to worry about this coronal mass ejection being 'the big one' - a solar storm direct hit that could cause widespread power blackouts and trigger as much as $2 trillion worth of damage, according to a National Academy of Sciences study. But this storm, on the back of this month's abnormally active space weather, may wind up on the larger end of the scale, and will be the subject of lots of analysis and research."

Comment: Did you keep your eclipse glasses? 

Signs in the Sun - Signs in the Moon

Eclipse chasers could form largest mass migration in history - UPI.com
UPI reports: "The best locations to see Monday's total solar eclipse are within a day's drive of more than 200 million Americans -- and the mega event could see one of the largest mass migrations in human history. The eclipse will occur on a sloping stretch of the United States about 70 miles wide and 2,800 miles long. The track beneath the eclipse is known as the 'path of totality,' which includes the states where the phenomenon will be best viewed -- Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia and South Carolina."

Comment: Unfortunately, I don't live anywhere near the path of totality so I'll be watching online or on TV. Those of you going to watch in person, enjoy the event! 

Signs in the Sun and Moon

Rare 'Ring of Fire' eclipse expected to cross Southern Hemisphere - UPI.com
UPI reports: "The sky above parts of Earth's Southern Hemisphere will be illuminated Sunday in a 'ring of fire' during the first solar eclipse of 2017, NASA said. The annular eclipse will be mainly visible near parts of the Southern Hemisphere, including Chile, Argentina and Angola. Unlike a total solar eclipse, an annular eclipse happens when the moon is too far from the Earth to obscure the sun completely, leaving the sun's edges exposed [...] On Aug. 21, a total solar eclipse is expected to cross the United States as the first in the contiguous U.S. in 40 years."

Signs in the Sun - Signs in the Heavens

My Way News - Ring of light: Total eclipse over Svalbard islands in Arctic
My Way News reports: "Sky-gazers looked up in awe Friday as the moon blocked the sun in a total solar eclipse that momentarily darkened a slice of northern Europe. The most spectacular viewing came on Norway's Svalbard islands near the North Pole, where a bright clear day and blindingly white snow highlighted the cosmic wonder that used to bring ancient civilizations to a trembling halt. Visitors to the Arctic islands were treated to a full view of the sun's corona — a faint ring of rays surrounding the moon — that is only visible during a total eclipse."

Signs in the Sun

Yahoo News Digest — Friday's solar eclipse is like nothing we'll see for another 19 years
Yahoo News reports: "This Friday, a rare total solar eclipse will be visible across parts of Greenland, Europe, and North Africa. Not only is this the only total solar eclipse in 2015, it’s the last of its kind for another 19 years. Total solar eclipses are pretty rare in themselves, but it’s also the first total solar eclipse of the 21st century that occurs on the same day as the first day of spring. To have the moon block out the sun on the same day as the vernal equinox, the first day of spring, is even more rare. It won’t happen again until the year 2034."

Signs in the Sun

St. Patrick's Day Solar Storm Sets Off Green Northern Lights - NBC News.com
NBC News reports: "A massive solar storm is bombarding Earth now, and it could supercharge the northern lights to offer a better chance of seeing dancing green auroras just in time for St. Patrick's Day, weather permitting. The surprisingly strong solar storm — ranked as a G4 geomagnetic storm by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center — could trigger brilliant auroras for people in dark areas as far south as Tennessee on Tuesday night if the space storm continues."

My Way News - Major solar storm hits Earth, may pull northern lights south
My Way News reports: A severe solar storm smacked Earth with a surprisingly big geomagnetic jolt Tuesday, potentially affecting power grids and GPS tracking while pushing the colorful northern lights farther south, federal forecasters said. So far no damage has been reported."

Signs in the Sun

My Way News - Solar flare knocks out some radio temporarily
My Way News reports: "Federal forecasters say a brief but strong solar flare Wednesday morning temporarily blacked out a few radio communication systems before weakening. Space Weather Prediction Center forecaster Christopher Balch said it affected radio that uses part of the upper atmosphere. That includes some radar and plane systems, but not all, and amateur radio."

Signs in the Sun

My Way News - Scientists: Strong solar storm heading to Earth:
My Way News reports: "A strong solar flare is blasting its way to Earth, but the worst of its power looks like it will barely skim above the planet and not cause many problems. [...] It may cause slight disturbances in satellites and radio transmissions but nothing major."

Signs in the Sun

My Way News - Antarctic prime spot for Tuesday's solar eclipse
My Way News reports: "The solar eclipse will be visible to skygazers in Antarctica, Australia, and the southern Indian Ocean about 0600 GMT (2 a.m. EDT). It's one of two solar eclipses in 2014, when the moon lines up between Earth and the sun. This one is a rare type of annular eclipse, meaning the sun will appear as a ring around the moon."

Signs in the Moon

My Way News - Full lunar eclipse delights Americas, 1st of year
My Way News reports: "Sky-gazers in North and South America were treated to a full lunar eclipse - at least those fortunate enough to have clear skies. [...] For some, the moon appeared red-orange because of all the sunsets and sunrises shimmering from Earth, thus the name 'blood moon.' It's the first of four eclipses this year and the first of four total lunar eclipses this year and next. The latter is a rare lineup; the next so-called tetrad of total lunar eclipses won't occur until 2032-2033. In the meantime, get ready for a solar eclipse in two weeks."

Signs in the Sun

My Way News - Misbehaving sun delays space station supply flight
My Way News reports: "The solar flare peaked Tuesday afternoon and more activity was expected, but the company determined that the space weather was within acceptable risk levels. The sun is at the peak of a weak 11-year storm cycle. Although the solar storm barely rated moderate, some passenger jets were being diverted from the poles to avoid potential communication and health issues. GPS devices also were at risk."

My Way News - Northern lights may expand south next couple days
My Way News reports: "Federal space weather forecaster Joe Kunches said the sun shot out a strong solar flare late Tuesday, which should arrive at Earth early Thursday. It should shake up Earth's magnetic field and expand the Aurora Borealis south, possibly as far south as Colorado and central Illinois. He said best viewing would probably be Thursday evening, weather permitting."

My Way News - Sun unleashes strongest solar flare of 2013 so far
My Way News reports: "The sun has fired off a massive flare, the strongest solar eruption this year. The powerful flare occurred Sunday and erupted on the side of the sun that was not facing Earth. While the planet was not hit with radiation, space weather forecasters say the solar blast briefly disrupted high-frequency radio signals."

NBC News - Sun unleashes solar eruption at Earth during long flare
NBC News reports: "A long-lasting solar flare erupted from the sun early Saturday, triggering an intense sun eruption aimed squarely at Earth. The solar storm, however, should not endanger satellites or astronauts in space, but could amplify auroras on Earth, NASA says [...] The sun is currently in an active period of its 11-year solar weather cycle, and is expected to reach its peak this year."

AR1654 is a Monster Sunspot. (And It’s Aiming Our Way.)
Universe Today reports: "Like an enormous cannon that is slowly turning its barrel toward us, the latest giant sunspot region AR1654 is steadily moving into position to face Earth, loaded with plenty of magnetic energy to create M-class flares — moderate-sized outbursts of solar energy that have the potential to cause brief radio blackouts on Earth and, at the very least, spark bright aurorae around the upper latitudes."

My Way News - Eyes turn skyward as Venus travels across the sun
My Way News reports: "None of us will likely see Venus pass, like a moving beauty spot, across the face of the sun again. From the U.S. to South Korea, people around the world turned their attention to the daytime sky on Tuesday and early Wednesday in Asia to make sure they caught the rare sight of the transit of Venus. The next one won't be for another 105 years."

My Way News - Rare sighting: Venus to trek across face of sun
My Way News reports: "It's a spectacle that won't repeat for another century - the sight of Venus slowly inching across the face of the sun. The silhouette of Venus will march across the face of the sun on Tuesday from the Western Hemisphere (Wednesday from the Eastern Hemisphere). Known as a transit of Venus, this won't happen again until 2117."

My Way News - 'Ring of Fire' eclipse visible from China to Texas
My Way News reports: "Sunrises and sunsets often dazzle, but they'll have a special ring to them in a few days for people in the western United States and eastern Asia: The moon will slide across the sun, blocking everything but a blazing halo of light [...] The solar spectacle is first seen in eastern Asia at dawn Monday, local time. Weather permitting, millions of early risers in southern China, northern Taiwan and southeast Japan will be able to catch the ring eclipse. Then it creeps across the Pacific with the western U.S. viewing the tail end."

NASA - Solar Eclipse this Weekend
NASA reports: "Something strange is about to happen to the shadows beneath your feet. On Sunday, May 20th, the Moon will pass in front of the sun, transforming sunbeams across the Pacific side of Earth into fat crescents and thin rings of light.1 It's an annular solar eclipse, in which the Moon will cover as much as 94% of the sun. Hundreds of millions of people will be able to witness the event. The eclipse zone stretches from southeast Asia across the Pacific Ocean to western parts of North America."

Space.com - Monster Sunspot May Erupt with Powerful Flares
Space.com reports: "An enormous sunspot group has taken shape on the surface of the sun, hinting that our star may soon start spouting off some powerful storms [...] Most experts expect such outbursts to continue over the next year or so. Solar activity waxes and wanes on an 11-year cycle, and scientists think the current one — known as Solar Cycle 24 — will peak in 2013."